Howard Thurman and Iraqi Prisoners

This week I have been reading the autobiography of African-American Minister Howard Thurman while experiencing the incredible pain of seeing pictures of young American soldiers humiliating Iraqi prisoners. I am trying to find compassion for our soldiers, our prisoners, the American and Iraqi people and myself. How could this happen?

Two stories from Thurman's childhood caught my attention. The first speaks to an incident in which as a young boy Howard is raking leaves for a white family. The family¹s 4-year-old girl is playfully scattering the piles of leaves. Howard says to her "Don¹t do that anymore because I don¹t have time." The little girl takes out a straight pin and jabs him painfully in his hand. "Have you lost your mind?" said Howard. And the little girl replied- "Oh Howard that didn¹t hurt you. You can¹t feel."

The second story tells of an incident in which a school bully is picking on Howard. He finally chooses to fight back and a particularly nasty fight takes places in which Howard eventually succeeds in defeating the bully. Howard says, "then I had to come home and face my grandmother." His grandmother exclaimed, "No one ever wins a fight." Howard retorted, "But I beat him." To which his grandmother replied. "Yes but look at yourself."

Victor Bremson

May 2, 2004